Preparation for central Queensland forest plantations moves into "top gear"

5 April 2001

Site preparation for major new softwood forest plantations at Byfield, near Yeppoon in central Queensland, has moved into top gear with the recent delivery of major plant and equipment.

Included in the delivery were a $500,000 John Deere 648G III 119kW powered skid steer articulated four-wheel drive tractor, fitted with 16-ply armoured Forester logger tyres, and a $30,000 Savannah Magnum 250 hydraulic stump-jump bed mounding plough.

Regional manager of DPI Forestry's Rockhampton district, Ray Robinson, said the tractor was equipped with a front-mounted hydraulic blade, so that when seasonal conditions were unsuited to ploughing, it could be used to make access roads and firebreaks.

He said the equipment would be used to prepare 500 hectares annually for tree planting.

Mr Robinson said that while the John Deere 648 skidder was purpose designed to snig clear fell timber, its direct to ground power performance and hydraulic capabilities made it an ideal machine to hitch to the one-pass Savannah mounding plough.

"Some sites are 'second rotation' country, logged six to seven months ago after 30 years under pine trees," Mr Robinson said.

In one pass, the 4-disc Savannah plough working at 35cm deep prepared a 60cm high, 1.5m wide mound based on 5m interrow spacings. The dual scalloped plough discs operating through 800psi hydraulic ram accumulators enabled the discs to negotiate remnant stumps and logs while maintaining maximum penetration.

   "The balance will be a portion of some 3000 ha of adjoining freehold land bought last year, which will boost the Byfield forest estate to 10,000 ha and increase the long-term commercial viability of the operation," he said.

   On hand at Byfield for the delivery of the tractor was Mark Trotman, Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia representative from Brisbane.

   Mr Trotman said DPI Forestry already had two John Deere units in service and another two similar to the Byfield purchase would be consigned to the Beerburrum and Toolara (Gympie) forestry centres, in south-east Queensland, later this year.

Based on artilces from the Queensland Government Department of Primary Industries Website.